3 days in Beijing- 10/28/2023-10/30/2023
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Day 1
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Day 1-Cont.
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Day 2 |
Day 2 -cont
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Day 3 Beijing City Center |
Forbidden City-10/28/2023
Forbidden City was the imperial palace of China for 492 years (1420–1912) and was the home of 24 emperors: 14 of the Ming Dynasty and 10 of the Qing Dynasty. The Forbidden City was Commissioned in 1406 by the Yongle emperor of the Ming dynasty who seized the throne from his nephew and in order to consolidate his imperial power and protect his own security, he decided to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing.
It was named the Forbidden city because access to the area was barred to most of the subjects of the realm. Government functionaries and even the imperial family were permitted only limited access; the emperor alone could enter any section at will. In ancient times, the emperor was said to be a son of Heaven, and therefore Heaven's supreme power was bestowed upon him.
Puyi was the last emperor who lived in the Forbidden
City until he was expelled in 1924. After that, the Palace Museum in the
Forbidden City was established and was opened to the public.
The 178-acre compound was designated a UNESCO World Heritage
site in 1987 in recognition of its importance as the center of Chinese power
for five centuries, as well as for its unparalleled architecture and its
current role as the Palace Museum of dynastic art and history.
The East Prosperity Gate which was built in the 18th year of the Ming dynasty in 1420. It faces East and there are three openings for entrance and exit
We had to walk through a huge park to get to the first Gate inside the Forbidden city
The Forbidden City covers an area of about 180 acres with a total floor
space of approximately 1,600,000 square feet.
We are now entering the first gate to get inside the Forbidden City
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The gate is so grandiose and opened to a gigantic square.
We got to the palace around 3:30/4:00pm and the sun is starting to descend.
For security the Forbidden City is enclosed by a 32 ft. high defensive
wall and at each corner of the Forbidden City stands a magnificent
watchtower, which was heavily guarded.
The Meridian Gate (Wumen in Chinese) is the main gate of the Forbidden City.
The Meridian Gate is the entrance to the interior of the Forbidden City.
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Defensive Wall
Our tour guide told us that in the summer there are so many tourists that sometimes it takes a few hours just to get in the gate.
Security check before getting inside the complex.
The Forbidden City is the world's largest imperial palace, over three times
larger than the Louvre in France
The Meridian gate has three openings. Only the emperor could go through the middle one. It was the place where the emperor issued imperial edicts and battle orders.
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We are entering the middle gate to get into the Outer court which is used for Ceremonial purposes.
The outer court has three main buildings, where emperors attended grand ceremonies. In the Ming Dynasty era, emperors would hold court in Hall of Supreme Harmony to conduct state affairs.
The emperors' Dragon Throne (Longyi) is in this hall. In Qing Dynasty, it
was mainly used for ceremonial purposes, such as coronations, investitures,
and imperial weddings.
Behind Wumen, the Meridian Gate, you can see five bridges with a courtyard
named the Inner Golden Water River Bridges. The Inner Golden Water
River flows beneath the Inner Golden Water River Bridges.
The central bridge was used exclusively by the emperor. The two
flanking it were for use by members of the royal family. The two outer
bridges were for court officials. The bridges have marble balustrades richly
carved with dragon and phoenix motifs.
Sun setting over the Forbidden City
The palace is magnificent with the sun setting in the horizon.
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Map of the Forbidden city.
We are now in the center of the Forbidden city with a view of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the center. The Hall of Supreme Harmony the most important and largest structure in the Forbidden City.
The purpose of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was multifaceted throughout history. Primarily, it served as the venue for important imperial ceremonies, such as the emperor’s enthronement, the proclamation of successful military campaigns, and the celebration of auspicious occasions.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony rises some 98 ft. above the level of the
surrounding square and is the highest construction rank in the whole empire
and thus is exclusively for the emperor. Covering a floor area of 2,377
square meters, the grand hall is the largest wooden structure in the world.
No building in Beijing was allowed to be higher than it during the Ming and
Qing Dynasties, because of its symbol of imperial power.
Gate of Supreme Harmony was originally built during the Ming dynasty. The
gate burned down in 1886 due to a fire started by a tipped lamp in the guard
room. The present gate dates from the rebuilding after this fire, which was
completed in 1894.
Pretty ladies dressing up in colorful traditional Chinese outfit.
The hall of supreme harmony stands as a symbol of imperial power and
grandeur, embodying the essence of Chinese architecture and design. With a
rich history, remarkable dimensions, intricate architecture, ornate roof
charms, and a significant purpose, the Hall of Supreme Harmony holds a
prominent place in Chinese cultural heritage.
Standing on three layers of white marble terraces it is the highest ranking heritage structure in Forbidden City.
The white marble three-tiered terrace is carved with dragon patterns that extend all the way through the throne hall and was the way the for the Imperial way to go up or down.
Hall of supreme Harmony, commonly known as the Hall of Golden Chime.
Hall of
supreme Harmony was the site of grand ceremonies in the Ming and Qing
Dynasties. The Forbidden City is the largest and most complete complex
of ancient wooden structures in the world.
Golden dragon design dominate the Hall's exterior and interior decor.
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The main
frames of all buildings were built with high-quality wooden beams and columns,
including whole trunks of precious Phoebe zhennan wood from the jungles of
southwest China. Forbidden City carpenters used interlocking joints to build its great palace buildings "harmoniously", without
nails. Nails were considered violent and inharmonious.
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Mystical animal statuettes on the roofs of the hall of Supreme Harmony.
The animals, like dragons, phoenixes, and lions, have powerful meanings in
Chinese culture.
View of the Palace of Heavenly Purity from the Hall of Supreme Harmony
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Large bronze cauldrons next to the terrace.
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Sundial was used in pre-modern China to tell the time of day by using the shadow cast by the sun of the dial. The sundial features a round white marble dial with scales carved on both sides, an iron gnomon perpendicular to the dial, and a square base supporter by 4 stone pillars. the dial is placed on the base obliquely, with its plane parallel to the equator of the earth and its gnomon pointing to the true South and North. The shadow cast by the gnomon changes with the position of the sun, and the dial on the plate indicated the time.
In the Forbidden City there are many animals statues in front of the Palace gates as in Chinese culture these are auspicious animals to ward off evil spirits, bring good fortune and luck.
Here is a statue of a crane.
In ancient
times, crane and tortoise were the animals that represented longevity, so they
were usually used as a pair and placed in front of the palace, together
blessing the longevity of the emperor and his offspring, and the permanence of
the country. In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there is a pair of
copper tortoise and copper crane. Their mouths are open and the heads are up
towards the sky. The crane is in the front, representing the ability of
soaring to the sky, and the turtle is in the back, expressing its ability to
swim in the deep sea. In important ceremonies, they can also be used as
incense burner, to create the effect of cloud and mist like in the heaven.
The Palace of Heavenly Purity is a smaller version of the Hall of Supreme
Harmony. As it was deemed inferior to the Hall of Supreme Harmony everything
within it is smaller than similar items in the superior palace. However, it
is the largest palace in the Inner Court of Forbidden City and it is
superior to any other structures there. The Palace of Heavenly Purity was
built in 1420 and rebuilt in 1798 as a consequence of fire damage Ming
emperors and the first two Qing emperors lived in and attended to daily
affairs of state. Here they also read, and signed documents, interviewed
ministers and envoys. Occasionally, banquets and other ceremonies would be
held here too.
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Granite sculptures along the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
This is one of eighteen large gilded bronze vats that held water for
fire-fighting. It is said that when the European Forces raided Beijing in
1900, they scraped off the gilding with their bayonets; the marks are still
clearly visible on this vat, which is located near the Hall of Preserving
Harmony.
The water vat is really huge.
Next...Forbidden city continuation
